Point Richmond Music Free Concert: Fantastic Negrito!

Point Richmond Music (PRM’s) free summer concerts return on Friday, June 28th! This year, we’re thrilled to open our season with the Bay Area’s own Fantastic Negrito, winner of three consecutive GRAMMYs for Best Contemporary Blues Album. Fantastic Negrito is an internationally-known musical artist who has toured with everyone from Sturgill Simpson to Chris Cornell, collaborated with the likes of Sting and E-40, performed at nearly every major festival on the map, and now at our community nonprofit festival, run by volunteers! Fantastic Negrito, born Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz, is also the founder of the nonprofit Revolution Plantation, an urban farm aimed at youth education and empowerment. We expect this concert to be one of our biggest yet. If you plan to drive, please consider carpooling or use a rideshare service.

PRM’s free festival takes place on the fourth Friday of each month, June through August, from 5:30pm to 7:45pm in historic downtown Point Richmond (Park Place between West Richmond and Washington Avenues).

Local restaurants offer a wide array of cuisines, and a rotating selection of food trucks pull up to each concert. Concert-goers can pair fine food with beverages served in biodegradable cups from PRM’s no host bar, with proceeds directly supporting the music series. Festival-style seating is available with a limited number of chairs provided, and concert-goers are encouraged to bring their own festival/lawn chairs.

PRM, an all-volunteer non-profit organization, produces the series in support of its mission to build community through the unifying language of music. Visit www.pointrichmondmusic.org for more information.

Coming up later this summer:

Friday, July 26th:
5:30pm – 6:30pm – Miracle Mule – The Bay Area’s Favorite Swampy Tonk Dance Band! Miracle Mule is a highly energetic, infectiously fun dance band from Marin County. They play good-time Americana with some spicy Louisiana seasoning — or what they prefer to describe as “swampy-tonk.” So that’s a tasty melange of country honky-tonk, cajun/zydeco, rockabilly, blues and country swing.

6:45pm – 7:45pm – Deep Blue Jam – LORIN ROWAN. “Deep Blue Jam” band featuring Lorin Rowan & co-founder/ co-writer Kirk Casey’s original songwriting-mandolin/guitar based Americana “Bluezgrass”-Roots/Rock/Funk fusion with fellow band members, Eric McCann/bass and Matt Willis/drums, all of whom have played with a wide variety of virtuoso musicians from Vince Herman (Leftover Salmon), Phil Lesh, David Grisman, Jerry Garcia, Levon Helm, Bill Kreutzman, Jim Keltner, Steve Cropper, Clarence Clemmons, Bonnie Raitt, The Drifters and many others.

Friday, August 23rd:
5:30pm – 6:30pm – Van Goat (vangoatband.com). Swing punk! “Oakland’s Van Goat breathes a healthy dose of punk rock into swing by stripping it down, raw and so energetic that you’ll want to upstage your granddaddy on the dance floor.” – Good Times Santa Cruz. Featuring Aidan Ward: Lead Vocals / Guitar / Clarinet, Lindsay Alexis: Trombone / Lead Vocals, Ben Einstein: Keyboards / Pineapples / Vocals, Derek Burle: Bass / Vocals, Taylor Moxon: Drums

6:45pm – 7:45pm – Bululú – Official Website (bululusf.com). A dynamic Latin music band that immerses audiences in the rich and vibrant influences of Venezuela and the Caribbean through their live and flavorful repertoire. Their performances encompass an exciting mix of styles, ranging from calypsos and salsa to cumbias, sones, guarachas, gaitas, and more. Led by Venezuelan-born percussionist Lali Mejia, the band delivers a fun and vibrant show, featuring original compositions and uplifting performances with their top tier San Francisco Bay Area ensemble.

About Point Richmond Music:
Founded in 2001, Point Richmond Music (PRM) is a 501c3 nonprofit public benefit organization that provides free outdoor summer concerts as a way to build community through the unifying language of music. PRM concerts provide a gathering place for people of all ages, ethnicities, and walks of life by featuring musical talent from Richmond, the Bay Area and beyond. In addition to producing a free summer concert series, the group is proud to foster the development of the next generation of musicians through contributions to local school music programs. This collaborative effort relies on donations of time and money from volunteers and local businesses and organizations. Thank you to our 2024 sponsors to date: Republic Services, Mechanics Bank, Interactive Resources, Svendsen’s Bay Marine, MSH Group, City of Richmond, Prologis, Point Richmond Neighborhood Council, Atchison Village Credit Union, M.A. Hays, Whalepoint Hardware, and Wicked Code. We also thank Bruce Kaplan for designing this year’s posters, t-shirts and banner.

For more information, please visit www.pointrichmondmusic.org and www.facebook.com/ptrichmondmusic.